FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KMJ/KFSN) — The primary election is just under a month away, which means it’s time to make your vote and your voice heard, and you can start now.
Just a few people lined up at the Fresno County Elections Office downtown on Tuesday for early in-person voting.
It was a slow first day.
“So far, turn out’s been a bit quiet; we’re actually getting some more voters coming in,” said James Kus, Fresno County Registrar of Voters.
But you don’t have to leave home to vote. A ballot is being mailed to every registered voter in the state.
You can drop it in the mail or official ballot drop boxes to cast your vote.
“Our vote-by-mail ballots were mailed Monday, so voters will probably start to see some, but definitely over the next couple of days, your ballot’s coming in the mail,” said Kus.
You can also drop off ballots at one of ten vote centers that will open across Fresno County on February 24th, with 43 more opening on March 2nd, the Saturday before the election.
Any vote center can help voters with services they need, including registering to vote.
“Right now, we have 511-thousand active registered voters in Fresno county, which is a record for Fresno county; we expect that number to continue to go up,” said Kus.
Kings, Madera, Mariposa and Merced Counties all operate similar vote centers.
Meanwhile, in Tulare County, registrar of voters Michelle Baldwin says early in-person voting does not start until ten days before the primary, but ballots are already being received with over 212 thousand registered voters.
“I think we sent those out a little bit earlier, so people started receiving those on Friday and Saturday over the weekend, the same with our voter information guide,” said Michelle Baldwin, Tulare County Registrar of Voters.
Both say the primary election is a chance for political participation at the federal, state, and local levels.
“We also have three countywide measures. All of these are opportunities to have your direct say in how local government is being run,” said Kus.
“Truly every vote counts, especially in the primary election; that’s when you make the decision of who goes to the general election,” said Baldwin.
Both counties also have the Special election on March 19th for Congressional District 20 to replace former congressman Kevin McCarthy.
If you live in those areas, vote-by-mail ballots will start being sent out in two weeks.
Officials say it’s essential to ensure you deliver those ballots in separate envelopes.
